The Garden, with Frosting!

This time of year it isn’t unusual to see the garden in a crystallized form.  Wet winter weather insures that enough moisture is around to turn the landscape into a frosted garden.  The unique appearance of the frosted garden gives the gardener a great opportunity to play around with some photography.  Here are a few photos from this morning at 23 degrees!

Rosemary with frosting.

Here are the dried flower heads of a ‘Clara Curtis’ mum.  I leave most of the perennial foliage along then cut it back in the early spring.  It adds some winter interest and protects the crown of sensitive/border-line plants from the cold.  The foliage creates and air pocket that insulates the ground just a little.  Sometimes a few degrees matters a lot when you are pushing a zone! (Although ‘Clara Curtis’ doesn’t really need the extra protection here in TN.)

Yews and other evergreens always look nice with a little ice.

‘Autumn Joy’ sedum seed heads.

‘Leyland’ cypress trees don’t come recommended by many due to their susceptibility to disease but they are beautiful this time of year.  Green with white, very Christmas-y!

I leave coneflower seed heads up to feed the birds.  Finches love them.  Of course I collect them also to grow more in the spring.  Coneflowers are one of the best ornamental plants for your garden or landscape.  They are native, feed the birds, attract beneficial insects and can even be used medicinally.

The birds failed to clean out the ‘Arrowwood’ Viburnum this year.  The mummified berries look pretty with a layer of white frost.

Heucheras are my favorite planting for shade gardens. Their “evergreen” nature allows them to be enjoyed year round.  Here is one with a frost rim around the leaves.

A self-sown Bradford pear seedling is attractive with a frost rim, despite being one of my least favorite trees!

The catnip is still nice and green and looks attractive with a little frosting.  Perhaps a new treat for the kitty cats in the neighborhood – frosted catnip anyone?

The frosts are chilling the soil a little which makes me wonder about our winter weather this year.  Will we have a snow that actually sticks?  Hmm…my kids are counting on it!